I would like suggestions on how to get out of debt

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35. Best way to get out of debt while improving your credit score

Definitely stop eating out and ordering in. It will save you money and save on calories.

I'm 56, retired when my grand kids were born 7 years ago so I could stay home and daycare them for free to help my daughter and her husband.

If you have children and have a parent or grandparent at home, willing to do the same, or to do it for less than you're paying, ask.

Keep a spreadsheet of every penny you spend for one month, every dime. At the end of the month, you will see holes where the money is flying through without you realizing it.

Set up all credit card, mortgage or rent, utilities, everything you have to pay monthly on auto pay. If you know they're being paid on a specific date, you won't buy something knowing you could overdraw. Set Minimum payments for the credit cards on your auto pays. You'll never be late and you credit score will increase. If you have extra money, pay more on the credit card with the highest interest so you can pay it off first.

In my case, I had different checking accounts set up for my paycheck to split and be deposited into. Some employers won't do this, so you can check with your financial institution to see if you can have money from your account taken out and put into a a separate checking or savings account.

I used my deposits to my credit union to cover my mortgage and credit union payments.

My bank checking account for all my other auto pay bills. Then another checking account for what was left over for essentials and anything else. I found the separate accounts easier to quickly manage at a glance to ensure there was always enough money.

Don't buy anything you don't absolutely need. Find nearly new items on Craigslist or FB sale sites, sales apps, to purchase items you need, if you can.

Stop purchasing on credit. If you don't have the money to buy it, don't buy it until you do.

Look for coupons and use them regularly. Most places have online coupons. If there's a couponing class in your area, take it, it will be worth the cost of the class.

Is you have children, search online things to do for free in your area.

Check Groupon regularly for deals on outings and activities.

Get rid of cable and buy a digital antennae. Get one with a high frequency to pick up more channel options.

Rent Redbox instead of going to a movie.

Get Netflix, your viewing options are endless.
Buy a Roku if you want to watch it on your Tv, otherwise if you're techy there's a way to link it to your cell phone so you can watch on the tv.

Find the best internet service and keep that, linking your home internet with you cell phone so you're not using your cell phone data at home.

Buy the prepaid phone services at Walmart. Their phones are basic to smartphones. Less than any other carrier. If your phone is paid off and unlocked, use it and simply buy the unlimited services card each month from Walmart.

Disconnect your home phone if you still have one.

Make things instead of buying them. If you have kids, shop garage sales for toys instead of buying new except for special occasions. Don't worry about germs, you can sanitize them.

Sell your unwanted things online using various sale sights.

Check your local recycling center for paints, stains, and cleaning supplies. You'd be surprised what you can get there for free.

If you color your hair, consider returning to your natural color or dye it yourself.

Put in a garden.

Shop Aldi's if you have one. Great prices on everything!

Watch your big box membership stores. You can over pay if you don't know the other stores prices.

Unplug everything you have plugged in that you can. Not a freezer, refrigerator, stove, washing machine or dryer, etc. anything not in use, not turned on, will use electricity even if it's not on.

Keep your heat on 68-70 and your air on 73-75.

Open a savings account for holidays. Try to use just what you've been able to save, in order to buy presents. Goodwill offers new items after thanksgiving for a fraction of the cost in the stores it originated from. Buy items for gifts when on clearance and store in an area for future gifts. I did this all the time when I was working and it was so nice having everything before the holidays.

Check out libraries up see if they have free passes to local museums.

Recycle, reuse, upcycle and make it what you need it to be. Look outside the box and see what an object could turn in to.

Hope that helps. I've been living like this for 7 yrs. I cut out my lawn service, kept my van for 13 yrs until it died, bought a one yr newer Nissan for $4,500. My husband bought a Civic for $4,000. Both had 150,000 miles but we didn't want $600-$700 payments for either of us. We were able to pay cash to have no car payment and when we are completely out of debt come January, we will donate my car to my son and trade the other in on a new used car. Very rarely does it pay to buy a brand new one. Though my Daughter was able to buy a new Kia for the price of a used one last year.

Look for the best car insurance and home owners or renters. Be smart. Lowering your coverages means if something happens, you might not have the coverage to fix it.

Some states base your costs on your credit rating, as do employers now look at your credit rating for possible employment. So keep in mind, don't buy an insurance policy that's cheating you on getting your home or your auto fixed. I always go with the lowest deductible, because it would be a stretch to make that amount up. If I had money in the bank, I'd go with a higher deductible. I found out the hard way, liability coverage only sucks if you are at fault. Your car is gone and you get nothing for it either. Remember, you must have full coverage on an vehicle that you're still making payments on.

You'll make it. It all depends on the choices you make. What you want. You can get yourself out, but it's up to you.

Best way to consider buying something or not? Think how many hours do I need to work, less state and federal taxes, to buy the item, figure in taxes on it too.

Example: Someone making 7.25 per hour needs to buy cough medicine. It's 13.99, plus tax. How many hours does that person need to work to buy that cough medicine? Not 2 hours, taxes, remember? Closer to 3 hours. If you start looking at things this way, I guarantee you will stop buying things you don't truly need. 😉 Good Luck!